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I am a member of a modeling - photographer web site called
Model Mayhem.
There members can communicate with each other, post
portfolios, and generally participate in discussions.
One feature of "MM" is that a member can create lists of his
favorite pictures. I've created a short list of my
favorite images of people kissing.
Sarah Ellis is a
well known traveling model, and we've been trying to get
together for a while, but to date, the planets just haven't
aligned. But we've kept in touch. One day, Sarah
sends me an e-mail commenting on my "kissing list", and she
notes that she will be traveling through Portland with her
boyfriend, David, and she volunteers the two of them for
posing for some kissing pictures of our own. Who am I
to refuse such an offer? After a few exchanges, we set
up a quick session (our schedules couldn't schedule a full 3
hour session, but we felt we had plenty of time. Let's
see what we can do... |
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I note that I switch between sepia & color a lot for
this session. I'm not thrilled with the color
images -- it seems to me that getting the color balance
& exposure "right" is a lot more difficult -- B&W seems
to be a lot more forgiving, and as an old-school
photographers, I always appreciate B&W. |
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A few thoughts:
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Having two people in the
image provides additional cropping possibilities.
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For sessions like this, hands
are very expressive.
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Sarah & David are intimate
with each other; I don't feel I need to provide them
with a lot of direction. Sure, minor
adjustments are welcome, but they know how to touch
& please each other.
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We all agree that Sarah sets
our limits. We are all happy with that.
Sarah is clear that we won't be doing anything
explicit, and that's fine with me -- I tend to feel
that the more explicit an image is, the less erotic
it is.
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Their lips
gently brush. There is no hurry -- their movement
is languid, and they savor the sensations. Each
touch is a caress.
(Photographers are often
challenged by very bright or very dark tones. I am
pleased that we are able to perceive shape & detail in
Sarah's dark turtleneck top).
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| I like this picture.
We had decided early on that I liked the idea of David
removing Sarah's clothes before they started on David's
clothes -- I just thought that the idea of Sarah nude with
David clothed to be erotic & exciting. How they went
about this was left up to them. David's touch is
intimate & gentle. I like the composition. I
like the gesture of Sarah's right hand -- it is encouraging.
I decide to see how this image looks with an artistic
effect. |
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| I've increased the abstraction
associated with the "paint brush" artistic effect, and I
like it. It is still intimate, and the strong
composition is still present. I experiment with other
artistic effect, including one I haven't used before:
"airbrush & ink". I like this new effect quite a lot. |
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The touching becomes
more sensual as Sarah's top is removed. |
Ever so
gradually, Sarah's clothes are removed. Each
exposure of skin invites new touching.
The
couple has to be reminded to kiss. That's
reminded, not encouraged. They are enthusiastic
throughout. |
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The pair continues
their sensuous dance, gradually remove each article of
clothing, savoring the transitions. |
| Time to pay
attention to David's attire. |
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Photographing
multiple models is a challenge -- especially lighting
both models evenly can be difficult. Photographing
lovers who are strangers to me is also a challenge, but
I was immediately comfortable with Sarah & David.
However, I guess I tend to be conservative & "safe" when
faced with these multiple challenges.
I
had always planned two different setups for Sarah &
David -- studio lighting, to ensure good lighting for
both models, and work in the shower. The shower is
a challenge itself -- the space is cramped, safety is a
concern (keeping the electronics dry), and the steam
automatically makes everything abstract. One loses
control in the steam room, and that's what we wanted. |
Wet --
Getting Steamy
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